Hiss.
That was the greeting Bai Yue received as she stepped into the glow of the central fire. It wasn't just one person, it was a collective sound that rippled through the clearing. There were at least forty beastmen gathered around a massive bonfire, their eyes reflecting the dancing flames like hundreds of tiny, glowing marbles.
There were bears with massive shoulders, lean wolves, and even a few stag beastmen with towering antlers. And every single one of them was staring at her.
The village elder, Zhào Fēng, stood up, his silver wolf ears flattened against his head. "Mo Xiao! Why do you bring the cursed female to the communal fire? Her shadow taints the meat!"
"She is hungry, Elder," Mo Xiao said calmly. "She is still a member of this tribe. Unless you wish to vote for her exile right now, she has a right to the kill."
"She should hunt for herself!" a boar beastman barked.
"She is a Rare Female," Mo Xiao reminded them, his voice dropping an octave. "If she dies of hunger because we played games, the Council of Alphas will have our heads. She is free to leave if she wishes, but I will not be the one to starve her."
The argument grumbled on, but eventually, they shared the food. Bai Yue was handed a wooden skewer of roasted meat and told to sit at the very edge of the light, nearly in the bushes.
She didn't mind. She was too busy observing. She realized with a jolt that in this crowd of forty, there was only one other female. She was a petite woman with soft brown hair, sitting near a group of wolves. She looked at Bai Yue with a mix of terror and pity, clutching a small, fluffy wolf pup to her chest.
"A-Wù, stay close," the woman whispered to the pup.
But A-Wù had other plans. The little wolf pup caught the scent of the vanilla-honey flowers on Bai Yue's skin and scurried over, his tiny paws pattering on the dirt. He reached Bai Yue, looked up at her with big, glassy eyes, and, mlem, licked her right on the cheek.
Bai Yue froze, then let out a soft, genuine giggle. "Oh! You're a fast one, aren't you?"
The clearing went silent. The sound of her giggle seemed to stop the wind itself. The cursed female.…..giggled?
The mother looked like she was about to faint. "A-Wù! Come back here!"
Bai Yue gently patted the pup's head and gave him a tiny nudge. "Go on, A-Wù. Go back to your mama. She's worried about you."
The pup yapped happily and ran back. The silence deepened. Usually, the original Bai Yue would have kicked a pup for "getting fur on her" or screamed at the mother for not controlling her brat. Pushing him back gently? It was unheard of.
Mo Xiao walked over and handed her a bowl of water. "Drink."
"Thank you," Bai Yue said softly.
A collective gasp went up. A stag beastman actually dropped his meat into the dirt. Thank you? Did she just say thank you?
Bai Yue ignored them and kept eating, though she felt the weight of eyes on her. She spotted the two snake twins from earlier hiding behind a large, scaly man, their father. They were pointing fingers at her and whispering frantically, while the father watched her with a hand on his stone axe.
Meanwhile, Ruì Xuě was sitting safely behind Mo Xiao's massive frame, peeking out while he chewed on a piece of soft liver.
"Does the cursed female want more meat?" Miao Miao asked, holding out a half-eaten rib. "I'm full, you can have mine!"
Bai Yue smiled at the panther cub. "No, thank you, Miao Miao. You should give it to your papa or Ruì Xuě. They're much bigger than me."
"No! I want to give it to Ruì Xuě!" A-Li shouted.
"No, I want to!" Xiao Hei joined in.
"Hey, hey," Bai Yue settled them with a calm wave of her hand. "A-Li, you give him the meat. Xiao Hei, you can find him a nice berry for dessert later. Deal?"
The cubs pouted but nodded, won over by her logic.
She was just finishing her meal and preparing to leave when a familiar, fiery scent hit the air. Zhāo Yàn emerged from the shadows. He was dressed now, wrapped in fine crimson furs that matched his eyes.
He scoffed the moment he saw her. "Cursed female Bai Yue! What is she doing here? Spreading her rot at the dinner table?"
Elder Zhào Fēng stood. "Zhāo Yàn! You're here. Where is your kit?"
"He is with his grandmother in the Eastern hills," Zhāo Yàn said, his voice dripping with disdain. He flicked his gaze to Bai Yue. "I caught her earlier. She was bathing in the hot springs."
"Zhāo Yàn, be calm," Mo Xiao warned. "There are young ones here."
"Something is wrong with her, Zhāo Yàn," another panther beastman whispered. "She has been using words like 'please' and 'sorry' all night."
Zhāo Yàn let out a harsh, barking laugh. "She is a trickster! A fox knows a fox's games. I will never believe a word that slips past those lying lips."
"Fine," Mo Xiao said. "Now go get something to eat."
"I'm not here to eat," Zhāo Yàn snapped. "I came to speak with Han Shan about the border patrol." He spotted Ruì Xuě and his expression softened instantly. "Hello, little snowflake."
Ruì Xuě waved a tiny, shy hand. "Hello, Uncle Zhāo."
"Han Shan? He left today for the ritual," Mo Xiao explained.
Zhāo Yàn groaned, dragging a hand through his orange hair. "I can't believe I missed him." He turned back to Bai Yue, a dark, dangerous smirk playing on his lips. "Well. I'll see if this 'new you' is a lie. I know it is. But I will watch you closely."
To everyone's shock, Zhāo Yàn didn't sit across from her. He sat directly beside her.
In a move that made the entire tribe hold its breath, he slid a muscled arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his side. He leaned in close, his red eyes boring into hers, his breath hot against her ear.
In Zhāo Yàn's mind, this was a trap. The original Bai Yue was a predator in the bedroom, if he touched her like this, she would usually growl with hunger, push him down, and try to dominate him with callous aggression. He hated touching her, but he wanted to prove she was still the same power-hungry monster.
But Bai Yue didn't growl. She didn't pounce.
Instead, a bright, rose-pink blush bloomed across her cheeks. She stiffened, her breath hitching in a way that sounded….genuinely flustered.
"Ugh?" Zhāo Yàn stuttered, his confidence wavering.
Usually, she would have started unlacing his furs right there in front of everyone while laughing at his 'weakness.' But she just sat there, looking like a startled maiden.
Gently, she placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back. Not with force, but with a shy, awkward distance. "I.….I'm sorry. Please don't."
The clearing went dead silent.
Zhāo Yàn stared at her, his arm frozen in mid-air. He looked at his hand, then at her blushing face, then back at his hand.
"What…..what is wrong with you?" he whispered, his voice cracking with confusion.
Bai Yue didn't answer. She scrambled to her feet, her heart pounding against her ribs. "Thank you for the meal. Goodnight."
She turned and ran back toward her hut, leaving forty stunned beastmen and one very confused Fox Lord staring after her